Typically the signing of a minor league player out of an obscure independent league would not make headlines. But Tarik El-Abour is not quite your ordinary minor league player. An outfielder who spent last season playing in the Empire League, El-Abour recently signed a deal with the Royals. Signing a contract with a Major League team requires surmounting incredible odds for most ballplayers. But for El-Abour, it means overcoming even more. He is believed to be the first professional ballplayer with autism.
El-Abour grew up in San Marino, California, and picked up the game of baseball as a kid.